Fred Kerley says he will compete clean at Enhanced Games

LAS VEGAS: Suspended former 100m world champion Fred Kerley said on Friday he will take part in this weekend’s Enhanced Games without using banned substances, even as other competitors at the Las Vegas event are allowed to dope.

Kerley, described as one of the biggest names entered for the controversial competition, said he had decided against using substances such as testosterone and steroids, which he said other athletes had been taking.

Speaking to journalists, the American sprinter said:

I don't need it. God gave me fast feet for a reason. And I'm here to showcase my talent

Kerley had announced in September last year that he would join the Enhanced Games, becoming the first American man and the first track athlete to commit to the event. He had not publicly disclosed until the eve of the competition that he would not compete in an enhanced state.

He said he had continued to undergo regular anti-doping tests in recent months and added that money was the reason he chose to compete in the event.

Ban and anti-doping dispute

Kerley’s participation comes amid an ongoing dispute with anti-doping authorities. In March, the Athletics Integrity Unit handed him a two-year ban after he failed to provide officials with required whereabouts information. He had already been provisionally suspended since August last year after recording three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period.

Under anti-doping rules, elite athletes must keep officials informed of their location, including while travelling or attending training camps, and must specify a daily time and place to allow unannounced testing.

Commenting on the sanction, Kerley said:

You just don't come and disrespect my space. Once you start disrespecting my space, it's irritating

Despite warnings from World Athletics president Sebastian Coe that track and field athletes who compete at the Enhanced Games could face lengthy bans, Kerley said he remained confident about his future in the sport.

He told journalists:

I will compete at the Olympics in 2028. They can't do nothing. We, us athletes, pay the bills. They don't pay our bills

Kerley also said:

I'm still getting tested from AIU, USADA. Simple. The only difference is my pocket is getting fatter.. Somebody fires you from the job, don't you gotta go get a look for ways to make more money?

Enhanced Games response

Enhanced Games co-founder Christian Angermayer told AFP that he backed Kerley’s decision not to use banned substances, describing it as consistent with the event’s philosophy of personal choice.

Angermayer said:

the crystallization of our ethos.. free choice for grownups.

The company behind the Enhanced Games is marketing strength and longevity supplements and is using the competition to draw attention to what it says is their effectiveness.

Asked what it would mean if Kerley were to defeat athletes who had used performance-enhancing substances, Angermayer said:

it would be amazing.

He added:

Mostly our business model is headlines to drive attention. It would be a headline. Any debate is good for us

Angermayer also said:

Second, I could scientifically answer, it's obviously depending where was the baseline of the other [athletes]. It's all where you start.